“Unfortunately he is too young at present for competitions, which are few and far between in the UK. But he is desperate to compete and is constantly asking if he can go to the USA.

“He’s skateboarding daft. Even when he’s not riding he insists on watching it on TV and his favourite skaters are Tony Hawk, Ryan Scheckler and Andy White.

“Max says he wants to be the youngest person ever to jump a mega ramp, which has a drop in height of around 60-70ft, is around 200-350ft long and has a gap of around 50ft in the middle, which has to be jumped. I’ve got to be honest, I skateboard every now and then and the thought of that scares me.

“But I wouldn’t put it past Max.”

Max, from Bishopton, Renfrewshire, picked up a skateboard for the first time last summer after showing a natural ability for surfing on a family holiday in Barbados.

Scotland’s lack of surfing ­opportunities meant his dad decided to look for a sport which involved the same balance and skill closer to home.

Ross said: “When we were on holiday in Barbados I got Max into surfing as it was something I had always been keen on.

“I was astonished when he managed to get up and stand after just five attempts, which is pretty unheard of for someone so young.

“When we got back from holiday I wanted to keep his enthusiasm for surfing and given that Scotland’s not great for surfing, I needed to find something with the same balance.